Tuesday, 11 February 2025

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CLEARLAKE, Calif. – Clearlake Animal Control has many nice dogs waiting for their new homes.

The kennels also have many dogs that need to be reunited with their owners. To find the lost/found pet section, click here.

The following dogs are ready for adoption.

“Barkley.” Photo courtesy of Clearlake Animal Control.

‘Barkley’

“Barkley” is a male American Pit Bull Terrier mix with a short red coat.

He is dog No. 3528.

“Blue.” Photo courtesy of Clearlake Animal Control.

‘Blue’

“Blue” is a female Staffordshire Bull Terrier with a short blue and white coat.

He has been neutered.

He is dog No. 2420.

“Chris.” Photo courtesy of Clearlake Animal Control.

‘Chris’

“Chris” is a male American Staffordshire Terrier mix with a short brindle and white coat.

He has been neutered.

Chris is dog No. 3319.

“Eve.” Photo courtesy of Clearlake Animal Control.

‘Eve’

“Eve” is a female American bully with a short brindle and white coat.

She is dog No. 3480.

“King.” Photo courtesy of Clearlake Animal Control.

‘King’

“King” is a male purebred Staffordshire Bull Terrier with a short brindle coat.

He has been neutered.

He is dog No. 3034.

“Lola.” Photo courtesy of Clearlake Animal Control.

‘Lola’

“Lola” is a female pit bull terrier mix with a short red and white coat.

She has been spayed.

She is dog No. 3337.

“Mack.” Photo courtesy of Clearlake Animal Control.

‘Mack’

“Mack” is a male Labrador Retriever mix with a short black coat and white markings.

He has been neutered.

He is dog No. 3570.

“Naomi.” Photo courtesy of Clearlake Animal Control.

‘Naomi’

“Naomi is a female American Pit Bull Terrier with a short red coat.

She has been spayed.

She is dog No. 1293.

“Phoebe.” Photo courtesy of Clearlake Animal Control.

‘Phoebe’

“Phoebe” is a female American Pit Bull Terrier mix with a short black and white coat.

She is dog No. 3483.

“Woodrow.” Photo courtesy of Clearlake Animal Control.

‘Woodrow’

“Woodrow” is a male Staffordshire Bull Terrier with a black and white coat.

He is dog No. 3281.

Clearlake Animal Control’s shelter is located at 6820 Old Highway 53, off Airport Road.

Hours of operation are noon to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. The shelter is closed Sundays, Mondays and major holidays; the shelter offers appointments on the days it’s closed to accommodate people.

Call the Clearlake Animal Control shelter at 707-273-9440, or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. to inquire about adoptions.

Visit Clearlake Animal Control on Facebook or at the city’s Web site.

Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.
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LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Absentee ballots, as well as sample ballot booklets for the March primary, are on their way to voters this week, according to the Lake County Registrar of Voters Office.

Interim Registrar Diane Fridley said that the official vote-by-mail ballots – more commonly known as absentees – were delivered to the San Francisco Sorting Center by the county’s official ballot printing vendor on Monday.

Voters should begin receiving their vote-by-mail ballots in the mail within three to 10 days from the mailing date, Fridley said.

If voters need their vote-by-mail ballot sooner than the estimated delivery date, Fridley said they may visit the Registrar of Voters’ office – in Room 209 on the second floor of the Lake County Courthouse, 255 N. Forbes St. in Lakeport – and a vote-by-mail ballot will be issued to them.

Alternately, Fridley said voters may call the Registrar of Voters Office at 707-263-2372 and staff will mail them a vote-by-mail ballot.

Fridley said any registered voter who would like to be issued an official vote-by-mail ballot in lieu of voting at his or her polling place may either personally phone the Registrar of Voters Office at 707-263-2372 or complete the application for vote-by-mail voter’s ballot on the back of their sample ballot booklet and the request must be received by the Registrar of Voters Office no later than 5 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 25 to request a vote-by-mail ballot by mail.

The applications also can be filled out at the Registrar of Voters Office in Lakeport prior to the close of the polls at 8 p.m. on Election Day – Tuesday, March 3 – to be issued a vote-by-mail ballot, Fridley said.

Fridley also reported that the sample ballot/information booklets will be delivered to the San Francisco Sorting Center by the county’s sample ballot printing vendor on Friday morning.
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MENDOCINO NATIONAL FOREST, Calif. – A year and a half after the destructive Ranch fire, officials are opening up more portions of the Mendocino National Forest.

Forest Supervisor Ann Carlson has issued Forest Order No. 08-20-02 for the Ranch fire area which opens more trails and campgrounds and continues the temporary closure of selected trails and campgrounds until more fire hazards can be removed.

The new closure is effective from Jan. 29, until Dec. 31, 2020.

Most of the road system and trails in the Ranch fire area have been evaluated and hazards have been removed, officials said.

Forest Order No. 08-20-02 opens the majority of OHV trails on the Grindstone Ranger District as well as Pine Mountain Lookout and Bear Creek campground on the Upper Lake Ranger District.

However, officials said numerous hazards still exist within the general forest, along many roads and trails and in campgrounds.

“Due to the hard work of Forest Service employees and volunteers there are now many fire impacted areas that are safe for the public to enjoy and I feel it is important to reopen access to public lands where we can,” Supervisor Carlson said. “We are continuing to remove hazards such as dead standing trees, exposed rebar in trail treads, and stump holes on trails in order to reopen the remaining trails and campgrounds.”

Carlson added, “Although the end date for Order 08-20-02 is Dec. 31, 2020, we are working hard to reasonably reduce risks to the public and reopen areas as soon as possible.”

Forest Order 08-20-02, including the order, map and list of closed trails and facilities is posted on the forest website.
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LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – On Tuesday, officials reported that a county-owned clinic was the target of a burglary nearly two months ago that has since been discovered to have led to a breach of personal information for an estimated 1,200 people.

Todd Metcalf, administrator of Lake County Behavioral Health Services, said staff discovered a break-in on the morning of Dec. 6 that had occurred the previous night at the Lake County Behavioral Health Services clinic, located at 7000-B South Center Drive in Clearlake.

Metcalf said the protected health information taken varied by client, and generally included some or all of the following elements: full name; prescribed medication; case number; appointment dates and times; phone number; payments; and amounts due for services received.

One compromised client file additionally contained a full Social Security Number, date of birth, disability status, medical history, substance use history, Medi-Cal beneficiary identification number, and income verification information,” Metcalf said.

Metcalf told Lake County News that the total number of potential individuals compromised is approximately 1,200.

“We have sent state-approved letters to each informing them of the incident,” Metcalf said.

The notices, according to Metcalf, detail the type of information potentially accessed.

Metcalf said the reason for the two-month delay between the break-in and the county’s public report on it was because his agency was unaware of the state’s protocol.

“Rest assured we did our due diligence and reported the incident immediately to the California Department of Health Care Services, but were just made aware of the necessity of a press release last Thursday due to the number of potential clients affected,” Metcalf said.

State civil code, which was updated with new legislation last year, includes numerous protections for consumer and health information and requirements for reporting them.

The California Attorney General’s Office reports that businesses, state and local government agencies that report personal information breaches that involve more than 500 state residents must submit to the state a data breach report.

So far, the Attorney General’s Office’s online searchable breach reports don’t include Lake County Behavioral Health’s incident.

Police investigation under way

Metcalf said the Clearlake Police Department was notified immediately of the break-in.

Based on the investigation so far, the single point of entry was a locked front window that was kicked in, he said.

From there, access was gained through a locked office, resulting in the theft of a locked filing cabinet used for storage of client protected health information, Metcalf reported.

Clearlake Police Chief Andrew White told Lake County News Tuesday that the incident initially was reported to police as a break-in, at which point it wasn’t known that a theft had occurred.

Officers went to the scene to investigate and were unable initially to locate a point of entry but found a point of exit, White said.

White said at the time the break-in was reported in December, his officers dusted for fingerprints but were unable to recover any due to issues with the surface, which he explained can include excessive dust.

It wasn’t until a county press release on the data breach and theft came out on Tuesday morning that White said he became aware that the filing cabinet had been stolen.

“We are unclear at this point as to what caused it not to be relayed to us,” White said.

White said he has since talked to Metcalf and a Behavioral Health staffer and is working with them.

“We’ll be following up on this new information we learned today on the compromised data,” White said Tuesday afternoon.

Metcalf explained that the Clearlake Police Department was informed immediately once Behavioral Health discovered the break-in, however, the missing filing cabinet was not discovered until after the report was made.

“Oddly enough, the filing cabinet is on wheels and is often moved about the building, so that’s why it was not noticed until after the police report was made,” he said.

Clearlake Police Det. Steve Hobb is assigned to the investigation. White asked that anyone with information about the case contact Hobb at 707-994-8201, Extension 321.

Taking new security measures

Metcalf said they’ve had a few recent break-ins, and are now taking a series of new measures to further secure protected health information.

Those measures include relocating any cabinets containing protected health information into a locked room that has no windows, located deep in the interior of the clinic complex, he said.

They’ve also initiated the installation of a security system in the Clearlake building that includes video surveillance and 24-hour monitoring, Metcalf said.

He said an alarm system also is being installed at the agency’s Lucerne clinic to ensure these situations will not happen in the future.

“We’re trying to cover all the bases,” Metcalf said.

Due to the risk of identity theft, White encouraged people to closely follow their credit reports.

For those individuals who are impacted, Behavioral Health encourages them to consider taking immediate action to protect their identity.

Precautions include the following.

Registering a fraud alert with the three credit bureaus:

– Experian: 888-397-3742; www.experian.com 
– TransUnion: 800-680-7289; www.transunion.com 
– Equifax: 866-349-5191; www.equifax.com 

Ordering a free report from all three credit bureaus:

– Ordering online: http://www.annualcreditreport.com/cra/index.jsp .

For those with additional questions, they may contact Vanessa Mayer at 707-274-9101.

Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.
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The Upper Lake High School Academic Decathlon team at the North Bay Region Academic Decathlon at Solano Community College in Fairfield, California, on Saturday, February 1, 2020. Photo courtesy of Anna Sabalone.


UPPER LAKE, Calif. – Upper Lake High School’s Academic Decathlon team will once again represent Lake County as it advances to California’s Academic Decathlon competition.

The 2019-20 theme is, “In Sickness and in Health: An Exploration of Illness and Wellness.”

Students compete in three categories: varsity, 2.99 grade point average and below; scholastic, 3.0 to 3.74 GPA; and honor, 3.75 to 4.0 GPA.

The Upper Lake State Team includes: varsity, William Cromwell, Jisel Horne and Sierra Manley; scholastic, Atlantis Jones, Georgia Schmit and Annalise Smith; and honors, Deeya Kalan, Nobalie Snow and Maria Tinoco.

This year, the shape of the Lake County Academic Decathlon competition has changed significantly.

While the team over the years has drawn participation from high schools all over the county, last year it had dwindled to just Clear Lake High School and Upper Lake High, with Willits High School joining them for a combined competition that took place in Upper Lake.

For the 2019-2020 event, the only remaining Lake County High School was Upper Lake, according to a December announcement from Beth Hampson, the new Academic Decathlon coordinator for the Lake County Office of Education.

In her announcement to competition supporters, Hampson said Upper Lake was invited to participate in the North Bay Region Academic Decathlon this year, sponsored by the Solano County Office of Education.

Upper Lake High took online tests in academic subjects as part of the regional competition on Saturday, Jan. 25, before the Saturday competition at Solano Community College in Fairfield. There, students competed in speech, interview and the Super Quiz.

Anna Sabalone, Upper Lake’s coach, told Lake County News that 15 schools from six counties participated on Saturday.

The top 10 finishers are as follows:

– First: Vanden High School, 44,643 points; will represent Solano County at state.
– Second: Willits High School, 40,051 points; will represent Mendocino County at state.
– Third: American Canyon High School, 38,288 points; will represent Napa County at state.
– Fourth: Casa Grande High School, 36,638 points; will represent Sonoma County at state.
– Fifth: Rodriguez High School, Solano County, 34,480 points.
– Sixth: Upper Lake High, Lake County, 32,169 points; will represent Lake County at state.
– Seventh: MIT Academy, Solano County, 31,706 points.
– Eighth: Jesse Bethel High School, Solano County, 30,178 points.
– Ninth: Petaluma High School, Sonoma County, 28,598 points.
– Tenth: Davis Senior High School, 28,008 points; will represent Yolo County at state.

Other schools in the competition were Buckingham High School, Dixon High School, Maria Carrillo High School, River City High School and Vallejo High School.

Upper Lake team members who won individual medals are listed below.

Highest scoring decathletes by category and grade level, 10 events combined:

Varsity, 10th grade: gold medal, Sierra Manley, 4,633 points
Scholastic, ninth grade: Georgia Schmit, 4,492 points

Second-highest scoring decathletes by category and grade level:

Scholastic, ninth grade: Nobalie Snow, 4,490 points

Third-highest scoring decathletes by category and grade level:

Scholastic, 10th grade: Annalise Smith, 4,535 points

Essay:

Gold, scholastic: Nobalie Snow, 1,000 points
Bronze, varsity, Jasmine Haro, 819 points

Interview:

Gold, scholastic: Atlantis Jones, 980 points.
Silver, varsity: Sierra Manley, 980 points

Speech:

Gold, honor: Deeya Kalan, 1,000 points

Upper Lake’s dedicated academic decathletes will now get to work preparing for the state competition, which takes place March 26 to 29 in Sacramento.

The Lake County Friends of Mendocino College has approved $500 for travel expenses to support Upper Lake’s trip to the state competition.

For information on making a donation to help the Upper Lake team travel to the state competition, call Upper Lake High at 707-275-2338.

Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.
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LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – A Kelseyville man was seriously injured last week when he was involved in a three-vehicle crash while riding a motorcycle.

Paul F. Richardson, 65, suffered major injuries in the wreck, which occurred on Thursday afternoon on Merritt Road near Kelseyville, according to a Monday report.

The CHP said that at 4 p.m. that day, a white 1991 Honda Accord, driven by 31-year-old William G. Wymer of Kelseyville, was stopped going eastbound on Merritt Road, east of Highway 29, with the left turn signal activated, waiting to make a left turn into a private driveway.

A red 2009 Ford Explorer driven by Daniel J. Crouch, 34, of Lakeport, approached traveling eastbound, failed to slow for Wymer’s car ahead of him and a collision occurred, the CHP.

Richardson, who was riding a 2005 Harley Davidson Dyna Low-Rider, was traveling behind Crouch’s Ford. The CHP said Richardson was unable to stop in time and collided with the rear of the Ford.

Richardson was ejected from the motorcycle and came to rest on the shoulder of Merritt Road. The CHP said Richardson was wearing a Department of Transportation-approved helmet at the time of the collision.

The CHP said Richardson was transported by an air ambulance to Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital. He’s expected to recover, with his injuries including broken bones.

Crouch and Wymer were both wearing their seat belts at the time of the crash. The CHP said Crouch had minor injuries and Wymer was uninjured.

The CHP said neither drugs nor alcohol are suspected of having been factors in this collision.

Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.
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LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – As concerns about the novel coronavirus 2019 continue to grow across the globe, Lake County’s Public Health officer is reporting that the risk locally remains low.

Lake County Public Health Officer Dr. Gary Pace, MD, MPH, said concerns about the spread of novel coronavirus 2019, or nCoV-2019, are increasing as the disease expands its reach.

“At the Lake County Health Department, we are regularly in touch with state and federal experts, we communicate about updates with local health providers, and we are making preparations for the possibility of any cases showing up in our area. Currently, the immediate health risk from nCoV-2019 to the general public remains low,” Pace said.

As of Tuesday night, media reports were putting the number of global cases at more than 24,000 and the number of deaths at nearly 500. The majority of the cases, however, are in China.

The latest report from the Centers for Disease Control said 11 cases have been identified in the United States with six in California.

The closest location to Lake County that has a case is Santa Clara County, as Lake County News has reported.

The Centers for Disease Control said the nCoV-2019 is a betacoronavirus, like MERS and SARs, all of which have their origins in bats.

Pace said there is no evidence of person-to-person transmission in the general public in California. The main risk for getting the virus has been identified as recent travel to Hubei Province in China, where Wuhan is located, or person-to-person close exposure or close contact with someone who is infected with the virus.

The dramatic health care response to the spread of nCoV-2019 is because no one has immunity since this is a new virus, the lack of an effective vaccine or treatment, and poor understanding about how long it will last or how deadly it can be, according to Pace’s report.

“Health officials worry that this virus could become very widespread and cause extensive illness and death for which we have few available defenses,” Pace said.

The US Department of Homeland Security has taken steps to dramatically decrease entry into the US by people who have traveled to Hubei province. Pace said the aim is to slow the spread of the virus, in efforts to allow time for the science to evolve to the point that a large outbreak can be more effectively managed.

The California Department of Public Health, or CDPH, has activated an Emergency Operations Center for the nCoV-2019.

“We will continue working with our partners to monitor for any additional cases that may occur in California, to ensure that persons can be safely and effectively evaluated for this novel virus, and to protect the health of the people of California,” said CDPH Director Dr. Sonia Angell.

Officials said it is very important for persons who have recently traveled and who become ill to notify their health care provider of their travel history. People who have recently visited Wuhan, China, or who have had contact with a person with possible novel coronavirus infection should contact their local health department or health care provider.

State health officials, with cooperation from the local health departments, are continuing with the following actions:

● Providing information about the outbreak and how to report suspected cases to local health departments and health care providers in California.

● Coordinating with CDC personnel who are doing screening of travelers from Wuhan, China at SFO and LAX airports.

● Assuring that health care providers know how to safely manage persons with possible nCoV-2019 infection.

● Supporting hospitals and local public health laboratories for collection and shipment of specimens for testing at CDC for nCoV-2019.

● Activating CDPH’s Emergency Operations Center to coordinate response efforts across the state.

As with any virus, especially during the flu season, CDPH reminds you there are a number of steps you can take to protect your health and those around you.

These are all ways to reduce the risk of infection with a number of different viruses:

● Wash hands with soap and water.

● Avoid touching eyes, nose or mouth with unwashed hands.

● Avoid close contact with people who are sick, are all ways to reduce the risk of infection with a number of different viruses.

● If someone does become sick with respiratory symptoms like fever and cough, they should stay away from work, school or other people to avoid spreading illness.

For more information about nCov-2019, please visit the websites for the California Department of Public Health or Centers for Disease Control, or call Lake County Public Health at 707-263-1090.
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Miguel Angel Becerra, 38, of Coachella, California, is set to stand trial for the murder of 40-year-old Steven Stone in Clearlake, California, in June 2019. Lake County Jail photo.


LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – A man accused of a fatal June drive-by shooting in Clearlake is scheduled to go on trial next month.

Miguel Angel Becerra, 38, of Coachella, is tentatively set for trial on March 4 after originally being scheduled for the end of January, according to District Attorney Susan Krones.

Becerra is facing a host of felony charges – among them, homicide, assault with a firearm, willful discharge of a firearm and a felon in possession of a firearm – for the shooting death of 40-year-old Steven Stone at Trombetta’s Resort on the night of June 17, as Lake County News has reported.

Clearlake Police officers who arrived at the scene found Stone on the ground with a gunshot wound. He died despite attempts to resuscitate him at the scene and Adventist Health Clear Lake hospital.

Investigators said that shots had been fired at Stone from a vehicle driven on the main driveway of the resort, with the vehicle then fleeing in an unknown direction on Old Highway 53.

Miguel Becerra and his younger brother, Christian, who have ties to Clearlake and Southern California, were identified as the suspects, police said.

The investigation found that Christian Becerra had been involved in an altercation on Jones Avenue hours before the homicide and that, at the time he was shot, Stone was with another person who had been present at that same altercation.

The Clearlake Police Department located and arrested Miguel Becerra 10 days after the murder, but investigators, working with outside agencies including the Federal Bureau of Investigation, continued looking for Christian Becerra.

Krones said Christian Becerra has not been located since then, and a warrant remains active for his arrest.

At the time of the crime, police said Christian Becerra was believed to be driving a 2005 Legend Lime Ford Mustang, California License No. 8KCS533.

“He’s in the wind somewhere, maybe Texas, but we’re not sure,” Krones said.

If he’s apprehended, Krones said Christian Becerra would face the same charges as his brother.

Christian Becerra is a Hispanic male, approximately 5 feet, 10 inches tall, 165 pounds, with brown hair and brown eyes, and was 26 years old at the time of the shooting. He’s considered armed and dangerous.

Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.
Christian Becerra is wanted for a June 2019 homicide in Clearlake, California. Photo courtesy of the Clearlake Police Department.
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LAKEPORT, Calif. – The Lakeport City Council this week will get an informational report on regulatory options for stabilizing rents at the city’s mobile home parks.

The council will meet at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 4, in the council chambers at Lakeport City Hall, 225 Park St.

On Tuesday, City Attorney David Ruderman will present the council with a report on options for regulating the rental market in mobile home communities within the city.

The planned discussion on the item resulted from numerous residents of the Clearlake Marina Mobile Home Park approaching the council at its Jan. 21 meeting to complain that their rents are being raised dramatically by a new park owner.

The park is for those aged 55 and above. Residents told the council that many park residents are disabled; the park also is reportedly home to numerous veterans.

The rent increase is presenting a problem for those residents who are on fixed incomes. The park residents also own their homes and said they can’t easily leave or move their homes.

Park residents asked the city to consider implementing a rent stabilization act like the one recently put in place by the city of Ukiah.

Ruderman’s report to the council explains that there are four potential mechanisms for regulating mobile home rents in the city.

They include rent registration, which requires park owners to notify the city of rent increases and provide specific information; rent mediation, which allows park residents to petition for mediation of proposed rent increases; rent stabilization, which limits annual rent increases to a small, set price, such as an inflation adjustment; and rent control, which prohibits rent price increases, with limited exceptions.

Ruderman’s report said this is an informational item only, with no action expected to be taken on Tuesday night.

Also on Tuesday, the council will hold a public hearing and receive public comment regarding the Community Development Block Grant program and possible activities and projects to be considered for funding under the upcoming Notice of Funding Availability process. The council is then expected to direct staff to proceed with the preparation of a CDBG grant application.

In council business, Public Works Director Doug Grider will ask for the council to approve City Manager Margaret Silveira signing purchase orders with Magic Interiors and Caliber Carpets for the City Hall Council chambers carpet and installation. The improvements are new floor coverings in the council chambers for the total amount of $10,875.

The council also will present a proclamation affirming the city’s support of the ongoing State of Our Children effort in the city of Lakeport and the county of Lake.

On the consent agenda – items considered noncontroversial and usually accepted as a slate on one vote – are ordinances; minutes of the regular council meeting on Jan. 7; confirmation of the continuing existence of a local emergency for the Mendocino Complex fire; confirmation of the continuing existence of a local emergency for the February 2019 storms; confirmation of the continuing existence of a local emergency for the October 2019 public safety power shutoff; and approval of the Application 2020-002, with staff recommendations, for the Shakespeare
at the Lake event, to be held July 25-26, 2020.

Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.

020420 Lakeport City Council agenda packet by LakeCoNews on Scribd

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CLEARLAKE, Calif. – The Clearlake City Council this week is expected to adopt new building and traffic codes.

The council will meet beginning at 6 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 6, in the council chambers at Clearlake City Hall, 14050 Olympic Drive.

Thursday’s meeting will include the introduction of new Police Department office assistant Katelind Brown and the presentation of a proclamation declaring February 2020 as Black History Month.

On the agenda is consideration of a first reading of an amendment to Clearlake Municipal Code Section 9-1.4, the Building Code. The amendment would adopt the 2019 California Building Standards Code, which includes residential, green building, plumbing, electrical, fire, mechanical and energy standards.

The council also will hold an initial reading of an amendment to Chapter VIII, Section 5 of the city’s traffic code relating to excavation of streets that have recently been reconstructed or overlaid.

On the meeting's consent agenda – items that are not considered controversial and are usually adopted on a single vote – are warrant registers; hold a second reading and adoption of an ordinance clarifying and correcting Ordinance No. 222-2019 amending Chapters 1, 10 and 18 of the Clearlake Municipal Code related to the issuance, handling, appeals and penalties of administrative citations, amending the general penalty for violations, adjusting penalties for cannabis-related violations and providing for immediate imposition of fines in specified circumstances; and consider continuing a declaration of local emergency issued on Oct. 9,
2017, and ratified by council action on Oct. 12, 2017, and set review for the next council meeting.

Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.

020620 Clearlake City Council Agenda Packet by LakeCoNews on Scribd

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LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – The California Highway Patrol’s Clear Lake Area office was on the lookout for drunk drivers and those operating vehicles without driver’s licenses during a weekend checkpoint.

The CHP said the checkpoint took place from 6 p.m. Sunday to 2 a.m. Monday on Highway 53 south of Jessie Street.

A checkpoint had also been held at Highway 53 and Jessie Street on Dec. 27, as Lake County News has reported.

The CHP said checkpoints target roads where there is a high frequency of intoxicated or unlicensed drivers in order to ensure safety for motorists. The checkpoints have been found to be successful and are designed to augment existing patrol operations.

CHP Officer Joel Skeen said that 440 cars were screened and 12 drivers were given sobriety tests but none were found to be under the influence.

As a result of the checkpoint, one driver was arrested for two felony warrants, two drivers were given tickets for driving while suspended, one driver was cited for driving while unlicensed and one car was towed, Skeen said.

“There was one DUI arrest that was out of a traffic collision,” Skeen said. “This was not at the checkpoint but they came across it while they were en route to set up the checkpoint.”

The CHP said the funding for the checkpoint program comes from a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.
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LAKEPORT, Calif. – The Board of Supervisors this week will get a report on the benefit zones established last year in several communities in the Kelseyville area to deal with vegetation management as well as a separate county program adopted to reduce hazardous vegetation.

The board will meet beginning at 9 a.m. Tuesday, Feb. 4, in the board chambers on the first floor of the Lake County Courthouse, 255 N. Forbes St., Lakeport.

The meeting can be watched live on Channel 8 and online at https://countyoflake.legistar.com/Calendar.aspx. Accompanying board documents, the agenda and archived board meeting videos also are available at that link.

At 9:30 a.m., the board will receive an update from Community Development staff regarding the benefit zones in the Clearlake Riviera, Riviera West, Buckingham and the Riviera Heights.

At 9:10 a.m., the board also will get a report on the implementation of the hazardous vegetation program the county instituted last year.

The full agenda follows.

CONSENT AGENDA

5.1: Approve letter finalizing response to the questions of the Northshore Fire Protection District.

5.2: Approve the updated bylaws of the Middletown Area Town Hall.

5.3: Adopt proclamation designating the month of February 2020 Black History Month and celebrating Martin Luther King's Birthday.

5.4: Approve change to board’s annual meeting calendar for 2020.

5.5: Approve late travel claim for Crisis Supervisor Melissa Mathis in the amount of $588 and authorize the auditor-controller to process payment.

5.6: Approve Amendment No. 1 to the agreement between county of Lake and Redwood Community Services Inc. for the Lake County Wrap Program, Foster Care Program and Intensive Services Foster Care Program for specialty mental health services for fiscal year 2019-20 to allow payment of services rendered in fiscal year 2018-19.

5.7: (a) Approve budget transfer and new capital asset in the amount of $7,500 for the purchase of a vote-by-mail heavy-duty envelope opener; and (b) approve the purchase of a vote-by-mail heavy-duty envelope opener and authorize the department head to sign.

5.8: Sitting as the Lake County Sanitation District Board of Directors, (a) waive the competitive bidding process, pursuant to Lake County Code Section 2-38.2, based on the determination that competitive bidding would produce no economic benefit to the county; and (b) authorize Special Districts administrator/assistant purchasing agent to issue a purchase order not to exceed $78,000 to Collier Capital Machine Corp. for an overhaul on the DKM 15 Stage Pump.

5.9: Sitting as the Lake County Sanitation District Board of Directors, approve additional freight and tax costs and authorize Special Districts administrator/assistant purchasing agent to issue a purchase order not to exceed $150,000 to R.F. MacDonald for a New Bowl Assembly for Goulds Pump.

5.10: Sitting as the Board of Directors of the Lake County Watershed Protection District, adopt resolution for the revised grant application and funding agreement resolution for the state’s Quagga and Zebra Mussel Infestation Prevention Grant Program.

5.11: Adopt proclamation commending Water Resources Technician Mark Miller for his service to the county of Lake.

TIMED ITEMS

6.2, 9:06 a.m.: (a) Presentation of proclamation designating the month of February 2020 Black History Month and Celebrating Martin Luther King's Birthday; and (b) presentation of proclamation commending Water Resources Technician Mark Miller for his service to the county of Lake.

6.3, 9:10 a.m.: Consideration of report on Chapter 13, hazardous vegetation 2019 overview and recommendations.

6.4, 9:30 a.m.: Consideration of update from Community Development staff as it relates to the benefit zones in the Clearlake Riviera, Riviera West, Buckingham and Riviera Heights.

6.5, 10:30 a.m.: Continued from Jan. 14, public hearing, consideration of Appeal AB 19-02 Dawson/Guerra.

6.6, 11 a.m.: Consideration of memorandum of understanding between the county of Lake and San Francisco VA Health Care System for meeting space usage at Bevins Court Apartments in Lakeport.

UNTIMED ITEMS

7.2: Consideration of the following appointments: Lower Lake Cemetery Board.

CLOSED SESSION

8.1: Conference with labor negotiator: (a) chief negotiator: M. Long; County Negotiators: C. Huchingson and P. Samac; and (b) employee organizations: LCDDAA, LCDSA, LCCOA, LCEA, LCSEA and LCSMA.

8.2: Public employee evaluations: Community Development Director.

8.3: Conference with legal counsel: Existing litigation pursuant to Gov. Code section 54956.9 (d)(1) – County of Lake, et al v. PG&E, et al.

8.4: Conference with legal counsel: Decision whether to initiate litigation pursuant to Gov. Code section 5456.9(d)(4) – One potential case.

Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.

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